For more complex repairs and maintenance you will need more specific tools, a well organised workspace and a shop bench. Not absolutely necessary, but the best way to make repairs easier.These tools can be added to the ones already listed in the "Getting Started" thread.

1) A Portable Work Stand - make sure it's sturdy enough and stable enough to handle it when you have to wail on the wrenches from time to time.

2) Shop Apron or Overalls - keeping you and your clothes clean and tidy. Also great for keeping your go-to tools on you whilst working.

3) Hacksaw - with a fine toothed blade.

4) Shop Knife - or a set of razor blades.

5) Files - round ones and flat ones with medium to fine teeth.

6) Cable Cutters - for cutting brake and shifter cables along with the housing. Felco C7 is an excellent tool.

14) Bottom Bracket Tools - A wide ranging area to cover here. Much has changed in the last 10 years and there are a variety of specific BB tools for each type and specification.I'll do a separate thread on BB's. Just make sure you have the correct tools for the BB you are dealing with, or head to your local LBS and let them take care of the job if you're not 100% sure.

15) Slip Joint Pliers

16) A Bike Specific Torque Wrench -Applying the correct torque to your cycle components is essential for a safe and serviceable bike. An absolute must when working with carbon fibre!

17) 3 Way Hex Wrench - Certainly not essential, but a handy tool to have. They come in different sizes with Torx options also.

18) 4th Hand Tool - sometimes referred to as a "cable stretcher" Pulls cables tight for adjustment of derailleurs and brakes. It features one-hand operation with a thumb lock to hold the cable tight while your hand is freed up to tighten pull-up bolts and nuts. Great for cinching up cable ties as well.

Apologies, fellow tinkerers, I didn't mean to start a conversation on how to properly true and dish a wheel here.

I just thought this might be the place to show off the tools we use - mine are not expensive or fancy, and I definitely appreciate when someone shows off a tool they had made/designed themselves with whatever materials were available at the time. (That is way beyond cool as far as I'm concerned.)

Tricycle Rider wrote:Apologies, fellow tinkerers, I didn't mean to start a conversation on how to properly true and dish a wheel here.

I just thought this might be the place to show off the tools we use - mine are not expensive or fancy, and I definitely appreciate when someone shows off a tool they had made/designed themselves with whatever materials were available at the time. (That is way beyond cool as far as I'm concerned.)

No apologies necessary, when you start talking tools, you'll inevitably start talking about using them

Tricycle Rider wrote:Apologies, fellow tinkerers, I didn't mean to start a conversation on how to properly true and dish a wheel here.

I just thought this might be the place to show off the tools we use - mine are not expensive or fancy, and I definitely appreciate when someone shows off a tool they had made/designed themselves with whatever materials were available at the time. (That is way beyond cool as far as I'm concerned.)